"How Are You" in Thai

"How Are You" and other phrases for smalltalk in Thai

Content

How to ask "How are you?" in Thai

Video example

What most Thais really use

"Have you eaten yet?" in Thai

Video example

"Where are you going?" in Thai

Video example

Informal "How are you?" in Thai

Video example

Lingo Ninja Research Team

3 min read · first published May 1, 2021

How to ask "How are you?" in Thai

Note: This is the standard phrase you learn in every school. But to Thais, this phrase seems quite formal. In informal situations and with friends Thais would not ask this, but would use the phrases further down in the article instead.

Men say: คุณ

สบายดี

ไหม

ครับ

?
Women say: คุณ

สบายดี

ไหม

คะ

?
This literally means: you - fine - question - polite

To answer this question, you can say "I am fine" in Thai:
Men say: สบายดี

ครับ

. ขอบคุณ

ครับ

.
Women say: สบายดี

ค่ะ

. ขอบคุณ

ค่ะ

.
Literally: fine - polite. Thank you - polite.

If you want to ask back, how the other person is, you say:
Men say: แล้ว

คุณล่ะ

ครับ

?
Women say: แล้ว

คุณล่ะ

คะ

?
Literally: And - about you - polite

Note 1: The words ครับ

, ค่ะ

, and คะ

are called polite particles and make the sentences polite. Don't leave them out, otherwise, you might sound a bit unfriendly. If you want o know more about polite particles, read this article: Thai Polite Particles.

Note 2: In English, you can ask anyone how they are. In Thai, you would ask only people you already know. And this question above is a bit formal. In informal situations or with friends, Thais often ask other questions (see below).

Video example

Note1: This video also includes the Thai greeting. Learn it here: How to say Hello in Thai.

Note2: The speakers use the words ฉัน

and ผม

for "I" (like in "I am fine"). Women use ฉัน

and men use ผม

. But most Thais don't say these words in this sentence. It's completely fine to leave out ฉัน

and ผม

What most Thais really use

Thais don't use "How are you?" as often as people in the west. Instead, they ask:

Have you eaten yet?
Where are you going?
An informal version of "how are you".

These questions are considered completely polite and are ok to ask in most situations. Let's go through these, one by one:

"Have you eaten yet?" in Thai

Eating is very important in Thailand. This phrase is an indirect way of asking how you are. It implies are you healthy, do you have enough time, and take good enough care of yourself to eat?
Have you eaten yet?
Men ask: กิน

ข้าว

หรือยัง

ครับ

?
Women ask: กิน

ข้าว

หรือยัง

คะ

?
Literally: Eat - rice - or not yet - polite?

Answer: I have not.
Men say: ยัง

ครับ

Women say: ยัง

ค่ะ

Literally: not yet- polite

Answer: I have.
Men say: กิน

แล้ว

ครับ

Women say: กิน

แล้ว

ค่ะ

Literally: Eat - already - polite

Notes:

This question is small talk, nobody will take your answer too seriously.
If you arrive at someone's home (and it's not a lunch or dinner invitation), you should reply "I have eaten already", whether it is true or not. Otherwise, the host would feel pressured to feed you. (But Thai etiquette requires the host anyhow to offer you food, regardless of you being hungry.)
ข้าว literally means "rice", but is used as "food" as well.

Video example

"Where are you going?" in Thai

Where are you going?
Men ask: (จะ

)ไป

ไหน

ครับ

?
Women ask: (จะ

)ไป

ไหน

คะ

?
Literally: Will - go - where - polite?
You can leave out จะ

without any consequence.

Possible answer: I am going to eat.
Men say: ไป

กิน

ข้าว

ครับ

Women say: ไป

กิน

ข้าว

ค่ะ

Literally: Go - eat - rice - polite

Notes:

This is polite small talk. People ask it mainly to know that everything is all right with you. Your answer does not have to be correct, you can always say you're going to eat.